Insulated clothing is used in cold weather conditions and particularly for clothing that seals to the ankles, wrists and neck of an individual to protect the body from hypothermia when immersed in cold water. Suits and boots are made from insulated material and are used by both military and civilian personnel in many situations. The insulation is generally in the form of a closed-cell foam material as this material maintains insulating properties when immersed since water cannot penetrate into the cells and furthermore closed-cell foam retains buoyancy properties when immersed thus providing some buoyancy for an individual in the water.
Insulated fabrics are generally made with closed-cell foam materials. One example of such a fabric is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,280 to Farnworth et al. This fabric is suitable for garments or boots and provides warmth through insulation, is impermeable to water, particularly under immersion conditions, and yet allows the escape of perspiration when the garments or boots are not immersed in water.